All the scriptural interpretations by the Gurus based on the dualistic perspective and orthodox point of view.+

Sage Sankara: ~ ‘Reality can be realized only with the eye of understanding, not just by a scholar. What the moon is like must be seen with one's own eyes. How can others do it for you?"~Vivekachoodamani

Advaitic Orthodoxy misinterpreted Sage Sankara and presented only the religious side of his teaching as the highest doctrine. Thus, people are misled.  The orthodoxy is based on rituals mythical Gods and Karma. Advaitic wisdom of Sage  Sankara has nothing to do with Advaitic orthodoxy.

Let Advaitic wisdom annihilate ignorance (I) and reveal Soul, the Self the God in truth.  Let your ears become deaf to the untruth propagated by the religion as a reality; enable you to realize the truth hidden by the ignorance (I).  Let your eyes become blind to the illusion of receiving the Soul as the Self as it is in the midst of the dualistic illusion.

 All the orthodox ideas were rejected by Sage Sankara. There is no need to indulge in rituals, to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman. 

There is no need to study philosophy, to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman so why indulge in studying philosophy.

Sage Sankara pokes fun at ascetics and points out that all their austerities do not cause desires to go. (Altar Flowers" Page 205, v.2 P.207 v.4)

Sage  Sankara pointed out that those rituals could in no way bring about wisdom, much less moksha.

Sage Sankara says the rewards of the rituals are not a matter of direct realization. Advaitic wisdom is based on personal realization.

The orthodox Advaitin believes that rituals alone would lead one to higher levels of attainment. Further, the deities would reward only those entitled to perform the rituals alone. The entitlement involved caste, creed, and other parameters.

The scriptural authority and value of rituals are part of the Advaitic orthodoxy, which is meant for ignorant people. 

Remember:~

All the scriptural interpretations by the Gurus are based on the dualistic perspective and orthodox point of view, therefore, they create more and more confusion. The scriptures do not help unfold the truth hidden by ignorance.

Even the Upanishads are Self-contradictory. Pundits and scholars give conflicting interpretations of them. When one uses his own Common-sense he becomes aware that, the final authority, therefore, is using his own reason. One should apply his reason to the scriptures before accepting them as truth.

Ashtavakra: ~ “My child you may speak upon various scriptures or hear the sermons on the scriptures. But you cannot establish in the ‘Self’ unless you forget all. 16-1 – p49

Sage  Sankara restrained himself parting the Advaitic wisdom or Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana to the mass and only a selected few. It was hidden from the people who were not qualified and receptive to it. 

Advaitic wisdom or Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana was not written down but was imparted orally to the chosen few. 

Thus, religion was given to the masses, and knowledge of the Spirit was given to only a selected few. Thus, we find traces of a knowledge of the Spirit in the religious books in the form of parables.

Swami Vivekananda: ~ “Advaita encompasses everything. Since Advaita requires heavy-duty intellectualism, it had to be progressively simplified. (From 'The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda)

Advaitic wisdom or Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is not based on any teaching or teacher. The Pursuit of truth is a pursuit of verification not a pursuit of an argument.

Intellectual discussion is dualistic, therefore, it is a great hindrance in the pursuit of truth.

That which is unreal, that is duality, cannot contradict the truth of non-duality. It cannot be counted as an adversary of non-duality. The illusion cannot, 'oppose' the substratum, reality. It can at best lead to the mistaking of the substratum. Perfect understanding is the only way to overcome ignorance.

Remember:~

Yoga Vasistha: ~ "Teachers, interpretations of sacred texts, the force of religious merit--none of these lead to the realization of that Ultimate Truth which is revealed in the clear reflection of the heart, engendered from contact with the good."

Sage Sankara: ~ VC Let erudite scholars quote all the Scripture, let Gods be invoked through sacrifices, let elaborate rituals be performed, let personal Gods be propitiated---yet, without the realization of one‘s identity With the Self, there shall be no liberation for the individual, not even in the lifetimes of a hundred Brahmas put together (verses-6)

Sage Sankara said:~ Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many Gods as you please, observe ceremonies, and sing devotional hymns, but liberation will never come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.

Only on the Atmic path one can reach the nondual destination without any teaching or teacher. Accepting oneself as someone’s guru or someone’s disciple and following someone’s teaching without verification is the greatest obstacle in the pursuit of truth. The nondual truth is the universal truth, it belongs to the whole of humanity and it is not the commodity, which can be bought from the market.

A permanent view of the world as unreal can come only after Soul-centric reasoning; such knowledge cannot change. Were the seeker who is sufficiently sharp he could grasp the unreal nature of the world by Soul-centric reasoning alone. To know the whole truth, one must know the whole universe, otherwise, he gets only a half-truth.

The non-dualistic or Advaitic truth is the uncontradictable truth, it cannot be attained by discussing and arguing on the base of some teachings or so Guru.

Remember:~ Sage Sankara says in Aparoksh Anubhuti:~ 88. When the whole universe, movable and immovable, is known to be Atman, and thus the existence of everything else is negated, where is then any room to say that the body is Atman?

89. O enlightened one; pass your time always contemplating on Atman, while you are experiencing all the results of Prarabdha (ignorance); for it, ill becomes you to feel distressed.

Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana does not need the support of any scripture or revelation like the Vedas. 

The ultimate truth is based, not upon the varying theological fancies, which are as numerous as the sands of the sea, but upon reason, the common heritage of all mankind, irrespective of color or creed or clime. It is necessary to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar